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Stanford researchers uncovered a key fact most companies don’t realize - your business’s credibility is based on your website’s design. In fact, one study found that 75% of consumers make a judgment about your company based on your website design. In other words, from the moment your site loads, customers are judging your company. Your website does so much more than establish credibility, though. 

It tells the story of your company, brings in leads, showcases your products and services, and provides customers with that first point of contact with your brand. That means one thing - it has to be amazing. Unfortunately, connecting with the right team for web design in West Palm Beach can be a bit challenging. 

After all, there are hundreds of web designers in this area alone, and given that some web development companies have a global footprint, your options are virtually limitless. How do you select the right team to ensure customers have a good first impression when it comes to your company? Consider these factors for every company on your shortlist. 

Experience

When you contact a West Palm Beach web development company, the very first thing you’ll want to ask about is their industry experience. It’s not only helpful for you to understand how long that team has been designing websites but also the kinds of websites they’ve designed in the past. Experience is essential in the world of web design. 

Think about the first time you tried to do anything. How well did it go? If you’re like most people, success comes only with a practiced approach, and that’s as true when it comes to web development as it is anything else. You don’t want to be someone’s test project. Instead, you want a company that can deliver a site that truly reflects your brands and your needs. 

For that reason, select a company that has not only an extensive portfolio of work to show you but also a team that is familiar with your industry. Even if you don’t currently work in an industry that is complex or even unique, some understanding of what you do and your target market is absolutely essential if you hope to get applicable recommendations when it comes to things like user experience and site architecture. 

Onboarding Process

A positive onboarding experience means you better connect with the team that will be handling your web design, and understanding exactly what that looks like is an absolute must. The goal is to ensure they learn more about your company, your goals in terms of site design, and your audience. 

In most cases, you can expect to fill out a questionnaire that details your target audience, your company’s overall values and goals, and your general needs. With some web design companies, though, this process can be a bit more extensive and include interviews, and more so they get a better sense of who you are and how you want your presence to be reflected online. 

Obviously, the more time they spend in the onboarding process with you, the more likely they are to produce a beautiful final product. Understanding what time commitment you need to make at the outset can help you connect with the right design team. 

Timeline

You want a fast turnaround, but it’s important to understand that faster is not necessarily better in the world of web design. Instead, good web development can be a fairly slow process. For some companies, your new web presence may be just a month out. 

For others, it can take as long as six months to produce a high-quality, well-optimized site that meets your needs. While one timeline isn’t necessarily better than another, knowing exactly what to expect in terms of delivery can be incredibly helpful as you work to select a team. 

Optimization Techniques

If you know anything about web design, you likely know that optimization is key to ensuring your site appears high in search engine rankings. You can optimize for all kinds of web traffic too. If you’re hoping to physically get more people through the door, you’ll want to ensure your site is optimized for local traffic. 

If you know many of your customers use voice search, you’ll want to optimize for mobile and voice search. It’s important that your development team has extensive knowledge of what’s required to optimize your site. If you interview a team that insists that good SEO happens after the design phase, walk away immediately. 

Good SEO happens all the way through the process. In fact, it’s part of the building blocks that create good sites, so make certain that you’re working with a team that understands that fact. 

Platforms

There are hundreds of different platforms on which your site may be built, and knowing the options that your design company is most familiar with and which ones may best benefit your site before you decide on the team with which you will work is key. 

While no one platform is better than any other, some have integrated features that make upgrades easier down the road. For example, Shopify is popular with e-commerce sites, while WordPress offers regular automatic updates and a high level of mobile-friendliness. 

Learning more about the platforms they use and why they’ve selected those can help give you some insight into their processes and focus as they design your site. 

Security

The Internet is a dangerous place. There are lots of people with very bad intentions online today, and they can harm your site, steal your customers’ data, and use your site as a point to spread malware and viruses. Ensuring your web development team implements strict security measures to protect you and your clients is nothing short of essential. 

Know what tools they’re using, the measures they’re taking, and the standards they implement with every single project before you sign up with them. If you’re working with a company that relies on others for site security or doesn’t take the extra precautions necessary to protect you, you may want to consider working with another team. 

Upgrades and Changes

What happens after your site is built? Your company isn’t likely to stay static, thus, the last thing you want is a site that remains static, too. Find out what services they offer after the site is built, what changes and upgrades you might be able to make on your own, and any training you might need to manage the site. Any design company can launch a site. What happens after that launch, though, is essential to the future of your business. 

Cost

This one is at the bottom of the list for a reason. Costs vary widely among designers, so knowing what you’ll pay is important, but it shouldn’t be your only concern. You don’t want to go with the cheapest build. 

That’s likely to cost you quite a bit more than you initially bargained for. Websites are a digital marketing investment, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you spend your digital marketing dollars on this year, either.

Instead, a good web development team should easily be able to outline the costs, what to expect in terms of payment arrangements, and where cost overruns might happen at the outset of the project so you know exactly what to expect. 

THAT Marketing Agency - The West Palm Beach Web Development Company For You

As you search for the right team to meet your needs, we encourage you to connect with us. With more than a decade of experience in creating bespoke web designs for companies just like yours, we’re ready to help you build something amazing. Contact us today to learn more.